March-April-May 2015/ Adar-Nisan-Iyyar-Sivan 5775 Reb Moshe’s Message Dear Haverot and The Purim story is an all too familiar one Haverim, of tyrants, anti-Semitism, and threats of genocide. All in all, not a pret- These ty picture. But with the tenac- words are ity of Esther and Mordecai, being written on and support for the Jewish Tu Bishvat, the full moon community of the Persian Em- and fifteenth day of Sh- pire, they succeed in foiling vat- the Rosh Hashanah of the plot against the Jewish trees and vegetation (Feb community. As God’s name 4, 2015 on the Gregorian is never mentioned in the calendar this year.) Spring Scroll of Esther, human power is in the air in the Land is accentuated. Our celebra- of Israel—the almond tion of Purim is a Carnival, a branches are blossoming, celebration of the power of and the kalaniyot (anem- humans to transform tragedy ones) radiate in fields of into joy. The Scroll of Esther poppies. We, however, sit is also the only biblical book amidst one of the snowi- describing a thriving Diaspora commu- est weeks we have experienced in quite nity, and has no reference to the Land of a while. What helps me to get through this Israel, except one phrase about the exile beautiful mess (and it really is beautiful from Jerusalem in 586BCE, the date of the as it falls), is thinking ahead to spring and destruction of the first Temple by the Bab- summer. ylonians. When you receive this Koleinu, we will be The intoxication of Purim is curtailed soon Inside: in full gear for our Purim preparations. Ha- after its celebration by the arduous prepa- mantashen will be baked, shlach manot rations for Pesach. Whereas Purim signifies Rav Claudia’s will be sent, the megillah will be read, tze- confusion (not knowing whether to curse Message.................pg. 5 dakah will be distributed, Purim shpils will Mordecai or bless Haman), Passover is the be presented, masks and costumes will Adult Learning.......pg. 9 model of Seder (Order), as the first meal be worn, graggers will be graggered, all is called. We move from the Bacchana- Nishmat Hayyim....pg. 9 in the spirit of breaking down the bonds of lian to the Apollonian, and from Diaspora winter to make way for spring. Purim falls Tikkun Olam...........pg. 11 toward the Promised Land via Sinai and on the full moon of the month of Adar. It is the freedom granted by the gift of To- Calendar .......pgs. 12-14 a predecessor of both Mardi Gras and St. rah. Pesach, celebrated on the full moon Patrick’s Day. All three of these celebra- of the month of Nisan, still serves as the Mishpachot .....pgs. 15-16 tions are descended from the Bacchana- touchstone for Jewish American identity. lian feasts of the ancient Greek world. Continued on page 3 TBZ Koleinu Newsletter March-May 2015/Adar-Sivan 5775 Temple Beth Zion | 1566 Becon Street | Brookline, MA 02446 | 617.566.8171 www.tbzbrookline.org See below for telephone extension numbers and email addresses for the rabbis and staff. Our Rabbis Officers, Board Members Reb Moshe Waldoks, Rabbi Co-Presidents [email protected] Sue Kahn Committee Chairs ext. 12 Jonathan Klein Adult Learning Rav Claudia Kreiman, [email protected] Jan Darsa Associate Rabbi Amy Mates Vice-Presidents [email protected] • Jewish Book Club: Suzanne Gelber External Relations: Carol Kamin ext. 11 Finance & Administration: Tali Walters Building Jack Daniels Synagogue Staff Member Relations: Sara Smolover Programming: Jenny Berz Development Carol Nathan, Executive Director Spiritual Life: Molly Silver Carol Kamin [email protected] Fran Kantor Treasurer ext. 10 Finance Audrey Kadis Gail Goldman, Office Manager Audrey Kadis [email protected] At-Large Members Garden ext. 17 Jeffrey Borenstein Rick Bankhead Abigail Carpenter-Winch, Audrey Kadis Hesed Administrative Asst. to the Rabbis Fran Kantor Steve Lewis [email protected] Daniel Marx Debbie Lipton ext. 14 Amit Segal Deb Stang Israel Committee Ed Kleiman, Bookkeeper Mona Strick Jonathan Klein [email protected] Membership ext. 13 Past Presidents Gabriel Belt Renee Markus Hodin Irwin Pless Anne Braudy Beit Rabban Program Coordinator Howard Cohen Men’s Group Shira Lenza Myra Musicant Mark Dwortzan Enid Shulman Steve Lewis Beit Rabban Teachers Jay Zagorsky Mishpachot Joshua Berkowitz, Josh Weisman, Fran Adams Jenny Berz Miriam Grossman, Miriam Diamond, Jonathan Klein Kathy Kates Becky Wexler Khitrik, Aly Halpert, David Cherenson Nominating Committee Penny Kohn Jenni Seicol David Cherenson Tfilot Mishpachot Shabbat Service Leaders Nishmat Hayyim Suzie Schwartz Jacobson, Reggie Silberberg Shira Lenza, Joshua Berkowitz, Social Action Cantor Becky Wexler Khitrik • Tikkun Olam: Judy Schechtman Deb Stang • Family Table: James Cohen • Literacy Project: Kim Meyers Please note: Synagogue Practices Last summer, TBZ’s office switched to a new database Lauren Garlick Molly Silver system. Some information, especially yahrzeit Koleinu Editor information, did not transfer properly from the old Enid Shulman system to the new. While we are manually searching for data that needs correcting, we would appreciate Page 2 your help. If you detect a mistake, please notify the office so we can fix it immediately. Thank you! TBZ Koleinu Newsletter March-May 2015/Adar-Sivan 5775 (continued from page 1) every one of us considers that we were The Seder is the most attended Jewish ritual, and the story liberated individually—kola dam khayav of Exodus continues to inspire generations. lirotatzmo k’ilu hu yatza mimitzrayim. This is Pesach, sometimes called the seven day Festival of mat- the essence of the seder. zot, brings us, hopefully, fully into spring and the barley Shavuot celebrates the bounty of the harvest harvest. From the second day of Pesach, for 49 days, por- in its season, but the individual who brings the tions of barley (the omer) were brought to the Jerusalem offering is asked to recite his/her individual narra- Temple, and on the 50th day, the first fruits of summer were tive, “arami oved avi” (“My father was a wander- brought in gratitude for a full harvest. This festival of the ing Aramean. He went down to Egypt with meager completion of the seven weeks, Shavuot, became, in the numbers, etc.”) Rav Shmuel (the khevruta of Rav tradition, also the celebration of the giving of the Torah Shmuel offers the “avdaim hayinu”—“we were slaves at Sinai. Due to its dependence on the seven weeks of in Egypt” as his answer to the four questions) brought this counting to determine its date, Shavuot is not a full-moon individual narrative into the seder ritual. celebration. While we bask in our communal celebration, we must That’s a lot of celebration! And there is much to celebrate, strive to internalize these messages, and to see where they despite the turmoil around us both here in the States and play their role in our personal lives. The ongoing cycles of throughout the world. All three holidays represent differ- Jewish holidays are touchstones to evaluate our ongoing ent types of redemption. Redemption (geula) in a gen- changes, both in our inner and outward lives. eral sense points to a future time when the world, through our efforts, will be repaired. There are two sides to geula: My family joins me in wishes for a a freylichn—a joyous geula klalit and geula pratit—general and individual re- Purim; a kusheren un zisn a kosher and sweet Pesach; and demption. All three of these festivals hint at the future but for Shavuot es zol zayn a kabolas haToyre besimcha u- are always anchored in the now. bepenimus—you should receive the Torah with joy and take it in to your innermost self. On Purim we mark communal redemption from a geno- cidal plot, but we are also commanded to become intox- icated—a very individual observance. – moadim lesimkha khagim uzemanim lesasson On Pesach we commemorate the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, but the Haggadah demands that each and Reb Moshe Condolences Mazal Tov to • To Sandra and Deborah Leabman on the death of their mother, beloved TBZ member Ruth Leabman Suzie Schwartz Jacobson • To Amy Mates and Billy Mencow on the death of Amy’s and Shira Lenza mother, Estelle Ruth Mates who will be ordained as rabbis on • To Fran Adams on the passing of her aunt, Nina Baker June 1st at Hebrew College. • To Samuel Engel and Anne Freeh Engel on the death of Samuel’s mother, Diana Rosenberg Engel • To Susan Farber on the death of her uncle, Jack Leiner <yabh <yKwrb • To Rabbi Sam and Jenni Seicol on the death of Jenni’s Welcome to Our Newest Members! cousin, Melvin Gordon • To Doug Starr and his family on the death of his father, Arnold Rachael Wurtman • To Tania and Michael Gray on the loss of Tania’s father, Lev Friedman Nathan Shira Lewin and Aaron Tillman, and their • To Philip Bakalchuk and his family, on the loss of his father, children Jonah, Livya and Mia Ramon and his mother, Mercedes. Reb Zusha and Rachel Kalet May their souls be bound up in the Bonds of Eternal life. Page 3 Roy and Taal Rachamimov HaMakom yenakhem otam im shear avlei Tziyon vYrushalayim. Iris and Robert Friedheim Deborah Leabman TBZ Koleinu Newsletter March-May 2015/Adar-Sivan 5775 Co-Presidents’ Message Sue Kahn and Jonathan Klein One of the five goals articulated by the Still, the building is over 65 years old, and needs both Strategic Thinking Group (STG) in its June, continual maintenance and further modernization to 2014, report was “to significantly invest in our continue to serve us well. We want to be responsible building to address short, medium and long caretakers and leaders, and therefore want to address term needs, including space for expanded some of these needs soon.